In a hearing involving over 100 petitions related to the composite user fee, the Jharkhand High Court has provided temporary relief to the petitioners. The court, led by Chief Justice MS Ramchandra Rao and Justice Rajesh Shankar, has scheduled the next hearing for August 6th. The court took the state government’s stance into consideration, conveyed by the Advocate General and clarified that the petitioners will not be required to pay the fee to obtain permits. Advocate General Rajiv Ranjan and advocate Piyush Chitresh represented the state. The court made it clear that the fee would not be collected immediately, even though it is visible on the Jimmus portal. The petitioners’ advocates, Sumit Gadoia and Indrajit Sinha, stated that the state government is illegally collecting a composite user fee of ₹1200 for mining permits, adding it to the Jharkhand Mines and Minerals Portal (Jimmus portal). They argued that the fee lacks a valid notification and is outside the government’s jurisdiction. The petitioners, including Triveni Engicon Pvt. Ltd. and others, had filed separate petitions. The court highlighted a prior instruction to the government to avoid pressuring the petitioners until the hearing was complete, which was reiterated in April 2025. However, the mining department later issued a notice on June 24, 2025, displaying the fee on the Jimmus portal.
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